Florida 2012 Recruiting

2012 Florida Gators ... Head Coach: Will Muschamp

Florida Gators

2011 Record: 7-6  

Sep. 3 Florida Atlantic W 45-3
Sep. 10 UAB W 39-0
Sep. 17 Tennessee W 33-23
Sep. 24 at Kentucky W 48-10
Oct. 1 Alabama L 38-10
Oct. 8 at LSU L 41-11
Oct. 15 at Auburn L 17-6
Oct. 22 OPEN DATE
Oct. 29 Georgia (in Jacks.) L 24-20
Nov. 5 Vanderbilt
Nov. 12 at South Carolina W 17-12
Nov. 19 Furman W 54-32
Nov. 26 Florida State L 21-7
Gator Bowl
Jan. 2 Ohio State W 24-17

2010 CFN Prediction: 10-2
2010 Record: 8-5

Sept. 4 Miami Univ. W 34-12
Sept. 11 USF W 38-14
Sept. 18 at Tennessee W 31-17
Sept. 25 Kentucky W 48-14
Oct. 2 at Alabama L 31-6
Oct. 9 LSU L 33-29
Oct. 16 Miss State L 10-7
Oct. 23 OPEN DATE
Oct. 30 Georgia W 34-31 OT
Nov. 6 at Vanderbilt W 55-14
Nov. 13 South Carolina L 36-14
Nov. 20 Appalachian St W 48-10
Nov. 27 at Florida State L 31-7
Outback Bowl
Jan. 1 Penn State W 37-24
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The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Florida Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. CB Brian Poole
5-11, 185, Scout.com 2nd ranked, five-star cornerback. Poole rushed for close to 1,000 yards, but figures to be a big-time CB at the next level because of his size (5'10, 195), burst, toughness, and ability to get physical at the line of scrimmage. As he gains experience going against top WRs he will let his natural play-making ability take over. He is very thick for a CB and is one of the most explosive athletes in the state. - Geoff Vogt, Florida Recruiting Analyst

2. OT D.J. Humphries
6-6, 262, Scout.com 3rd ranked, five-star offensive tackle. Humphries has great feet and flexibility. He really gets in and out of his stance well and he can both run and pass block. He is very explosive off the ball and he can drive his opponents down the field. He is still a little light, specifically in the lower-body, but he is still strong enough to be dominant on the high school level.

3. DE Jonathan Bullard
6-4, 250, Scout.com 4th ranked, five-star defensive end. Bullard is a very balanced defensive end. He is built very well, he plays strong, and he really contains his edge nicely. He is equally effective against the run and the pass and he will be a very good strongside end on the next level. He can still develop more moves off the ball and just explode off the line of scrimmage a little better. He does a nice job with his hands in contact and he will be ready to play early.

4. TE Kent Taylor
6-5, 230, Scout.com 1st ranked, four-star tight end. Taylor has an excellent frame with room to grow. He lines up at tight end and receiver, and he's a good enough athlete to do both on the next level. He has outstanding feet letting him get off the line and change direction quickly. He is a tenacious blocker, but will need to add size and strength to have the same effectiveness in college. Taylor can outrun most linebackers and all but the fastest safeties.

5. TE Colin Thompson
6-5, 255, Scout.com 2nd ranked, four-star tight end. Thompson is a complete tight end who can block inline and also be a vertical threat in the passing game. He is deceptively quick for a player of his size and a match-up nightmare for opposing teams. He runs good routes and shows tremendous ball skills. I don’t care how fast his forty time is the kid is fast enough to have SEC teams offer him, so that is fast enough in my book.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Offensive firepower. The Gators haven’t had a superior running game in years, and the offense sputtered and coughed throughout last season. QB Jeff Driskel was the star of last year’s class and could be the franchise, but he’ll have to battle for the job and he’ll need more playmakers. However, that’s not coming with this class that’s full of next-level defensive prospects.

Team Concerns For 2012: A go-to receiver. Quarterback will be in the spotlight, but finding a steady running back and a star receiver is a must early on. There are plenty of four-and-five star players to go around, but now they have to produce. The defense is about to be special with the 2010 recruiting class about to mature, and there’s a whole bunch of superior talent on the way to provide an instant push for playing time.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: There’s no excuse. The talent level is every bit as strong as LSU’s and Alabama’s, and now it’s time for everyone from the epic 2010 recruiting class to mature into shape. The defense should be truly special with ten starters returning including end Ronald Powell, a former top overall recruit with NFL upside. The key is improving an offense that didn’t do much of anything last year and now will be without offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, quarterback John Brantley, and running backs Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. The receivers and line, though, should be terrific. Again, there’s no excuse, and this needs to be a big season with several players likely to bolt early for the NFL next year.

2011 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 21. That Class Was Heavy On ... Jeff Driskel. The 2010 Florida recruiting class was so phenomenal that there wasn’t anything that Will Muschamp could do, or needed to do, to try to upgrade the overall talent level. However, being Florida, the stars still signed with several terrific defensive backs including safety Marcus Roberson and corner Valdez Showers, a great running back in Mike Blakely, and a top punter in Kyle Christy. But the class will most likely be remembered for anything that top quarterback Jeff Driskel does. While he’s extremely mobile, under the tutelage of Charlie Weis he’s expected to be something special. No one’s expecting him to be another Tim Tebow, but … let’s just say the expectations are through the roof.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 1. That Class Was Heavy On ... NFL players. Yeeeeeeeesh. Everything worked for the terrific Florida class as Urban Meyer's health concerns didn't turn out to be  a problem in any way. The Gators got 13 players (but it's probably over 15) that would be the crown jewel in the class of roughly 110 other programs including Mack Brown, a lightning fast back who might finally be the one to give Meyer the feature back he's been searching for. Chris Dunkley, Adrian Coxson, and Solomon Patton might have started, or at least would've seen time, at wide receiver last year and should be key parts of this year's team, offensive tackles Chaz Green and Ian Silberman will be starting at the next level if they can effectively add 20 pounds of muscle, and Sharrif Floyd out of Philadelphia and Dominique Easley from New York City might be the nation's two best defensive line prospects. And then there's the secondary. Matt Elam and Jonathan Dowling are tall, talented safeties, and Jaylen Watkins, Joshua Shaw and Cody Riggs are special corner prospects.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 13. That Class Was Heavy On ... quality over quantity. While there were a few misfires with the Gators not getting everyone they were hoping for, especially after the national title season, the stars they did get were top-shelf. Xavier Nixon might be the nation’s best offensive tackle prospect, Jelani Jenkins is arguably the top linebacker, Gary Brown is among the best defensive tackles, Nick Alajajian and Jonotthan Harrison are among the best guards, and Andre Debose is a top receiver. There aren’t a lot of prospects for each spot, so if the stars bust, there isn’t a lot to fall back on.

Gator Bowl
Florida 24 … Ohio State 17
- CFN Thoughts on the Gator

Florida: Sacks. Florida 6, Ohio State 0 … John Brantley completed 12-of-16 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown with a pick. … Chris Rainey ran 16 times for 71 yards and returned a punt for 31 yards. He also led the team with three catches for 31 yards and came up with a blocked punt for a score. … Jon Bostic made eight tackles with foru tackles for loss. … Andre DeBose returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score.

Ohio State: The Buckeyes converted 2-of-10 third down chances. … Braxton Miller completed 18-of-23 passes for 162 yards and two scores. … Dan Herron ran 12 times for 82 yards. .. DeVier Posey caught five passes for 38 yards and a score. … Ryan Shazier led the team with ten tackles

(AP) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Florida's special teams came up big in the Gator Bowl, scoring twice as the Gators beat Ohio State 24-17 on Monday in a game between Urban Meyer's old team and his future one.

Andre Debose returned a kickoff 99 yards - the longest scoring play in bowl history - and Chris Rainey blocked a punt that was returned for a touchdown.

The speedsters helped the Gators (7-6) avoid their first losing season since 1979 and pick up some much-needed momentum after losing six of their previous eight games.

Ohio State (6-7) finished below .500 for the first time since 1986. The Buckeyes can take solace in knowing that Meyer, who officially takes over at Ohio State this week, will make it a priority to improve special teams. Meyer did that in his six seasons in Gainesville, and Rainey and Debose were two of his most prized recruits.

Ohio State fell to 0-10 in bowl games against teams from the Southeastern Conference. Yes, the Buckeyes beat Arkansas in the Sugar Bowl last year. But that victory was vacated.

The latest loss had everything to do with Florida's speed.

The Gators dominated the defensive line of scrimmage. They had a season-high six sacks, harassing Braxton Miller on nearly every passing play. Jaye Howard and Sharrif Floyd were disruptive all afternoon.

Florida had similar success the last time it played Ohio State. The Gators were dominant on defense in a 41-14 win in the 2007 Bowl Championship Series national title game in Glendale, Ariz.

Debose and Rainey proved to be the difference in the much-hyped rematch that centered around Meyer.

Just after Ohio State tied the game at 7 on Miller's 5-yard pass to DeVier Posey in the second quarter, Debose took the kickoff, made one cut to the outside and went untouched for his third career special teams touchdown. The Buckeyes never got close enough to even swipe at him, let alone make the tackle.

Florida was up 14-10 at halftime and essentially put the game out of reach on the opening possession of the third.

Rainey came off the left end and blocked Ben Buchanan's punt. Seldom-used linebacker Graham Stewart scooped it up at the 14-yard line and scored the first touchdown of his career.

It was Rainey's sixth blocked punt of his career, breaking the school and SEC record.

Rainey also ran for 71 yards on a warm and sunny day in Jacksonville. John Brantley completed 16 of 22 passes for 132 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. He had a 17-yard strike to Deonte Thompson in the first.

Jeff Demps added 31 yards on the ground.

Ohio State wasn't nearly as effective.

Miller completed 18 of 23 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 15 times for 20 yards. He completed an 11-yard TD pass to Jordan Hall with 57 seconds remaining. The Buckeyes failed to recover an onside kick, and Florida ran out the clock for its sixth bowl victory in the last seven years.

Ohio State's Dan Herron ran for 82 yards, but also had a fumble. Posey finished with five catches for 37 yards.

Miller, a freshman, gives Meyer an experienced and improving quarterback for next season. The Buckeyes won't be bowl eligible, though.

The NCAA hit Ohio State with a one-year bowl ban and additional penalties last month for violations stemming from players who exchanged jerseys, rings and other Buckeyes memorabilia for cash and tattoos. The violations cost coach Jim Tressel his job, and the Buckeyes turned things over to interim coach Luke Fickell.

The Buckeyes lost four in a row to end the season.

Nov. 26 Florida State 21 … at Florida 7  

Nov. 19 at Florida 54 … Furman 32
CFN Analysis: The Gators are bowl eligible. It might not have been a pretty route to get there, but at least the season didn’t turn into a complete and utter disaster. Even so, there’s way too much speed, talent, and athleticism to struggle so much against Furman. … John Brantley threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns, looking like the passer and the playmaker the team was hoping for coming into the year. It’s a shame he doesn’t get one more year to work with Charlie Weis. The tools are there; he just needed more time and better play from the line. … As sour as the year has been, a win over Florida State would quickly cast the start of the Will Muschamp era in a different light. After all the midseason problems, winning three of the last four games would be a nice turnaround. 

Nov. 12 at South Carolina 17 … Florida 12
CFN Analysis: The offensive line had a hard time against the South Carolina defensive front, and John Brantley didn’t get enough time to work, but Chris Rainey got room to move and he had one of his best games of the year with 132 yards on just 17 carries. … There’s no downfield passing game. Brantley isn’t playing all that well, but the receivers aren’t exactly helping the cause. The receivers aren’t getting any separation. … Jonathan Bostic made 12 tackles to lead the D, but the Gators only came up with three tackles for loss. … With Furman up next, Florida will be bowl eligible, but it’ll take a win over Florida State to turn the season into a positive.  

Nov. 5 at Florida 26 … Vanderbilt 21
CFN Analysis: Finally, Jeff Demps looked like Jeff Demps again with explosive, creative runs on the way to 158 yards and two touchdowns, while John Brantley got back on track completing 16-of-24 passes for 173 yards. However, the defense couldn’t do much against the Vandy passing game and needed to hang on for dear life. Slipping by the Commodores is hardly what Florida is used to, but it’ll take it after going 0-for-October and with a trip to South Carolina up next. The Gators are going bowling with Furman still on the slate to fall back on, but it has to be a concern that the offense worked, the run defense was good, and it still took everything in the bag to get out with a win. The team isn’t playing well, but for the moment, getting a win is enough; even if it’s against Vanderbilt.

Oct. 29 Georgia 24 … Florida 20
CFN Analysis: It’s not like the offense got better with John Brantley at the helm. The offensive line didn’t have any answers for Jarvis Jones and the Georgia pass rush, and Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps didn’t play anywhere near 100%. Demps ran for just 12 yards on eight carries, and Rainey was held to 26 yards on five dashes. Brantley completed just 12-of-33 passes with most of his 245 yards coming on a 72-yard play by Demps in the first few minutes. 14 penalties, two turnovers, 2-of-13 third down conversions; the Gators didn’t play well, but they were still in the hunt for the win late but couldn’t get the ball back in the final minutes. This is too talented a team and too good a coaching staff to be 4-4, even with the injury issues, and Vanderbilt isn’t going to be a layup next week.
 
Oct. 15 at Auburn 17 … Florida 6
CFN Analysis: Is John Brantley really that meaningful for the Gator offense? Apparently so. Auburn didn’t care a lick what the Florida quarterbacks were trying to do, all it cared about was stopping the run. Chris Rainey did what he could with 33 yards on 16 carries, but he didn’t get any help. Jeff Driskel is a terrific prospect, and he did a decent job completing 9-of-18 passes for 75 yards, but the offense just didn’t move. The Gators get two weeks off to lick their wounds from the last three brutal losses, and then come the big games against Georgia, Vanderbilt, and at South Carolina. There’s still time to win the East, but the coaching staff needs to use the next two weeks to figure out how to get the offense to stop turning the ball over, how to get everyone to stop putting the ball on the ground, and how to get the running game going again. There’s no consistency, and that has to come with or without Brantley. 

Oct. 8 at LSU 41 … Florida 11
CFN Analysis: Florida tried to get creative and tried to see if the old spread might have worked, but without a quarterback, there wasn’t any hope. The LSU defense didn’t respect the deep ball at all, zeroed in against the run, and the game was over before it began. As bad as the offense was, the defense didn’t do anything to pick up the slack getting steamrolled over up front and getting burned badly deep early and short late. Throw in the 12 penalties and the mere nine first downs and 213 yards of total offense, and this game was a wash. There’s still time, though. The Gators still control their own destiny in the SEC, but they need to play stronger against the run and they have to get far more physical in a big hurry. 

Oct. 1 Alabama 38 … at Florida 10
CFN Analysis: John Brantley was playing well before he injured his knee and ankle. Highlighted by the 65-yard bomb to Andre Debose to start the game, he completed 11-of-16 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. While the Gators would’ve lost had Brantley not gotten hurt, the game was over once he got knocked out; Jeff Driskel was a deer caught in the headlights. The defensive front got beaten up and battered by the best day the Bama O line came up with all season long, and the offense couldn’t do anything to try to keep up the pace with Chris Rainey held to four yards on 11 carries and Jeff Demps getting just three carries for four yards. Assuming Brantley is out, it’s going to take a special effort from the defense and the O line to have any shot of keeping the LSU game within in three touchdowns. 

Sept. 24 Florida 48 … at Kentucky 10
CFN Analysis: No one’s really talking about Florida, but that could quickly change over the next few weeks. The Gators couldn’t be more impressive with the defense dominating, the offense showing flash in the running game, and the special teams doing a decent job, but there’s a wait and see attitude with Alabama, at LSU, at Auburn, and Georgia up next. The lines are playing well enough to win all four of those games, but the passing game could stand to be a bit more efficient. John Brantley didn’t have to break a sweat, and Jeff Demps did all the heavy lifting with 157 yards and two touchdowns on ten carries. It all has to work next week to have a shot at the Tide in primetime. 

Sept. 17 at Florida 33 … Tennessee 23
CFN Analysis: The Gators should’ve put this game away earlier. They showed off speed, flash, and tremendous athleticism as they had few problems early on. However, the O had to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns, and it continues to be a problem that the attack seems to wait for the home run from Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Fortunately, they keep hitting them. The defensive front had a nice game continues to be phenomenal, not allowing a thing on the ground, and the offensive line is keeping John Brantley upright. Slowly but surely, this is starting to look like the elite version of Florida again, but the attack needs to be a bit more efficient and effective, needing to use Kentucky next week to fine tune everything before facing Alabama.  

Sept. 10 at Florida 39 ... UAB 0
CFN Analysis: The emphasis has been on Charlie Weis and the passing game, but the defense has been the star allowing just three points in the first two games thanks to a secondary that’s dominating. UAB went nowhere, while the Blazer D couldn’t get into the backfield against a Gator line that hasn’t allowed a sack so far. John Brantley was fine, completing 12-of-19 passes for 185 yards, while Chris Rainey and the running game blew the game open with 300 yards and four touchdowns, with Rainey running for 119. Next up is Tennessee, and next up is a shootout against a red hot Tyler Bray who’ll test the Florida secondary that hasn’t been pushed. The Gator pass rush has to be better after not registering a sack and only coming up with four tackles for loss.

Sept. 3 at Florida 45 … Florida Atlantic 3
CFN Analysis: Blowing out Florida Atlantic isn’t like blowing away Florida State, but considering the problems offensively last year, and with the problems in the opener against Miami University, 41-3 with 468 yards of offense looks great. John Brantley threw two picks, and he was shaky at times, but he did a nice job of spreading the ball around and getting the passing game going like last year’s coaching staff would’ve liked. Again, though, like last year, the ground game waited for the Jeff Demps home run a bit too much. The Jeff Driskel era got the chance to get going with the superstar recruit competing 4-of-6 passes for 42 yards and a pick. There’s still a lot of tuning to be done, and UAB is in huge trouble next week, but this was a strong debut.